I get very angry about the reporting of honour killings in the media because my perception is that they are actively hushed up.
Or reported in such a way as to leave the impression that it might have been an accidental death. The reports I read about Sarah Hussein said that she'd died following a fire and described her as a fire victim.
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/feminism/4317334-sarah-hussein
Not the best link but there are some guidelines and I wonder if there's an hypersensitivity around some of them that gets in the way of reporting:
Level Up’s guidelines on how outlets should report on domestic violence deaths consist of six main points:
Accountability. Place responsibility on the killer. This means avoiding speculative “reasons” or “triggers”, or describing the murder as an uncharacteristic event. Fatal domestic abuse is usually underpinned by a longstanding sense of ownership, coercive control and possessive behaviours: they are not a random event.
Accuracy. Name the crime as domestic violence. Rather than describing the death as a “tragedy” or “horror”, frame it within the context of a pattern of controlling behaviour, coercive control and/or previous assaults. Include a reference to helplines at the end of the article, so readers know where to seek help.
Images. Centre the image of the deceased woman, but include a picture of the perpetrator at the bottom. If she is a Muslim woman, use the image that has been provided by the family and police alone.
Dignity. Avoid sensationalising language, invasive or graphic details that compromise the dignity of the dead woman or her surviving family members. In cases of BME women, focus on the perpetrator’s gender-based abuse and control as the root cause of homicide. When religion or culture is used as a reason, it detracts from the sexist values the killer holds that underpin their violent actions.
Equality. Avoid insensitive or trivialising language or images. All women have a right to dignity and respect, especially in death, regardless of their race, sexuality, occupation, class and whether they live with mental or physical disabilities. Remember a victim’s children are likely to read reports on their mother’s death.
Sensitivity to cultures and religion. When reporting on a woman’s death, there is no need to discuss religious or cultural values, or her religious or cultural background unless imperative to a case. Be careful not to perpetuate stereotypes or make assumptions, particularly around ‘honour killing’ or domestic homicide.
www.stylist.co.uk/life/level-up-campaign-change-reporting-domestic-homicides-violence-deaths-media-guidelines-women-killed-by-partners-2/230587
Level Up's own site (which lists 5): www.welevelup.org/media-guidelines